


Care for You

by Phoebe_Snow



Series: Your Touch is Like Magic [14]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Sokovia Accords, Bucky Barnes Feels, Captain America: Civil War (Movie), F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Imagine your OTP, Love Confessions, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26354455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebe_Snow/pseuds/Phoebe_Snow
Summary: Wanda wanted to heal James' mind. She knew she had the ability and she was confident that it could work. All she had to do was convince him.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Wanda Maximoff
Series: Your Touch is Like Magic [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1027895
Kudos: 18





	Care for You

* * *

"So you're really going through with this?"

James looked up to see Wanda standing in front of him. She motioned to the cryo machine behind the hospital bed he sat. Her face was blank, but he could see a little unhappiness in her green eyes.

"I have to, Wanda. You know that."

The witch understood what he meant. HYDRA had brainwashed him for years and he still suffered from the trauma. James Barnes was a haunted man if she’d ever seen one. His pain was visible in his face, but she also felt his suffering from the emotions ebbing out of his mind.

She certainly knew not to look into his thoughts as that was a violation of a person's privacy. One of the first thing she'd been taught as an Avenger was that she only should read minds when she had permission. However, when the person's mind was as loud as his, she couldn’t help but pick up some of their feelings.

"You're not thinking this through."

"I have. This is my only option."

"No, it isn’t." Her face twisted in anger and she grabbed his flesh hand with hers. "You weren’t in control of what you were doing. You'd been controlled by HYDRA for decades. If anyone knows what it’s like to be a victim, you do. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be, living with those memories, but they don’t define you."

"Maybe not, but I still killed people. You can call it what you want, but my hands pulled the trigger every time and I'll have to live with that knowledge for the rest of my life."

Wanda's eyes softened and before she knew what she was doing, she pulled the man into a hug. At first, he stiffened, not expecting her to make such an action, but he gradually relaxed in her embrace.

"You are _not_ a monster, James." Her voice was firm and uncompromising. She rubbed slow circles on the expanse of his back. "There is so much goodness in you."

"I wish everyone thought that way, but all they can see is what I’ve done, and it’s hard for me to see past it either." Now he pulled away to look at her, resignation in his features. He looked so tired and wounded.

She though t for a moment. "What if I could help you?"

"You mean with your powers?"

"Yes. I've tested them on myself a few times. I used my psionics to bring back old memories of my childhood that I'd forgotten. If I can do that, maybe I can get rid of the damage they’ve done to your mind."

James' brow furrowed as he thought about her proposal. If he could find a way to get rid of these horrible memories, he would take it. He didn’t like the idea of going into cryo, but as far as he knew there were no alternatives. Well, until now.

"It would be dangerous. You might awaken the Winter Soldier if you’re not careful. I don’t know, Wanda..." He knew she meant well, but he was afraid of awakening the asset again and possibly hurting her. He couldn’t bear it if that happened, not after how close they’d become. 

Only their fellow teammates knew this, but they had a history together, back when she and Pietro worked for HYDRA. As the Asset, James been assigned to rigorously train the Maximoff twins for six months and develop their powers and combat fighting skills. In the process, Wanda had a crush on him. 

He was supposed to be cold and emotionless, but being around her seemed to affect him. He grew to care for her as well, but he made sure not to display his affection for her in public, and so did she. There were cameras everywhere and guards constantly patrolled the facility they were in, so any suspected attachment would get them in trouble. A few times they were able to sneak into each other’s rooms and spent time together, but other than that, their secret encounters were few.

During one of their meetings, Wanda reached into his mind to find out his real name. That was how she learned who he was and saw snippets of his former life that HYDRA had stripped away - or so they thought. The essence of who James was had only been submerged and all it took was someone strong enough to search through the fog in his mind and find his real memories.

Unfortunately, once those six months were up, the twins grew powerful enough that they didn’t need an instructor anymore. They had met their goal and Asset was placed in cryo again until he was needed for another assassination.

When Wanda found out, she cried in her room. It was then that she realized how foolish she and her brother had been to trust HYDRA. They had been so angry at Tony Stark for the death of their parents and they wanted vengeance, so they turned a blind eye to the truth.

There was no excusing what they did and she had felt shame for working with these people. Enough was enough. They couldn’t stay there anymore and so, a week after James was frozen in cryo, Wanda and Pietro made a plan to escape. It just happened to be providence that, for their first mission, they were sent after the Avengers.

Much to their handlers' surprise, instead of killing the team of heroes, they sought their help. They were all cautious, especially Tony, but Steve and Clint were the ones who gave them a chance to prove themselves. Wanda and Pietro showed them the hidden base in Sokovia where they’d been living and it wasn’t long before they found James.

After they brought him to the Avengers Complex, they petitioned the president for a full pardon, citing that his brainwashing made him an unwilling victim in the hands of HYDRA. Thankfully, the president did pardon James and he was able to live a somewhat normal life among the Avengers.

It was only a month ago when his nightmares got really bad that he asked to be put in cryosleep until a cure was found for his mind. One of the newest Avengers, King T'Challa was gracious enough to allow him to come to his country, Wakanda, and use his facilities. Steve, Natasha, Sam and Wanda came with him for moral support, but now, Wanda found that she couldn’t let him do this without saying her piece.

"Please." Her hand cupped the apple of his cheek, urging him to look into her eyes. "Don’t go in cryo. Let me try to heal your mind. I know there’s risks, but I want to face them."

James chuckled and shook his head at her persistence. "You'd really go to that kind of trouble for me?"

"In a heartbeat. I'd rather have you here with me, working on helping you myself than wait for someone else to do it. Shuri is wonderful and I appreciate she and her brother, but they don’t have an attachment to you the way I do. I...I love you, James."

Her confession made him part his lips in a small 'o'. Had she really said that? So many questions began floating in his mind and they were loud enough for her to hear them. If this moment weren’t more on the serious side, she might have cracked a joke.

"Yes, I meant it. I love you and I don’t want to be separated from you. I know that may sound needy, but I don’t care. I’ve lost my parents and Pietro. Don’t ask me to add you to the list." Her hand fisted in his shirt as tears formed in her eyes.

Hearing such raw emotions and honesty from her touched James' heart and he wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Alright. I won’t go in cryo. You have my word. If you really want to do this your way, I'm okay with it."

"Thank you!" Wanda buried her face in his shoulder and clung to him like a lifeline. "I promise you won’t regret it."

"I know I won’t," came his soft reply and he kissed her temple. "And I love you too, doll."

Neither one of them knew how long it would take for Wanda to heal James' broken mind, but at least they’d be together every step of the way.

**Author's Note:**

> Drop by my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/greenfleeze) or [instagram](http://instagram.com/first.lady.romanogers) and say hi!💞


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